World Meteorological Organization
CAgM-XV/INF. 6
COMMISSION FOR AGRICULTURAL
METEOROLOGY
FIFTEENTH SESSION
Belo Horizonte, Brazil
15 to 21 July 2010
Submitted by
Secretary-General
Date:
8.VI.2010
Original Language:
English
Agenda Item
3.2
REGIONAL ACTIVITIES IN AGROMETEOROLOGY
SUMMARY
REFERENCES:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
CAgM Management Group meeting, February 2010, Geneva, Switzerland – Doc. 7
CAgM Management Group meeting, June 2008, Obninsk, Russian Federation – Doc. 7
Abridged Final Reports with Resolutions of RA I (WMO-No. 1022), RA II (WMO-No. 1037),
RA III (WMO-No. 1011), RA IV (WMO-No. 1041), RA V (WMO-No. 1005), RA VI (WMO-No. 1046)
CAgM-XV/INF. 15 - WMO activities on training in agricultural meteorology
CAgM-XV/INF. 16 - Symposia, seminars, and workshops in agricultural meteorology
CONTENT OF DOCUMENT:
This document is only for information on the progress of regional activities relevant to the Agricultural
Meteorology Programme and CAgM since the last session of CAgM, and no decisions are based on the
material provided herein. Observations/suggestions coming out of its presentation would be recorded
under Doc. 3.
CAgM-XV/INF. 6, APPENDIX
REGIONAL ACTIVITIES IN AGROMETEOROLOGY
1.
Introduction
1.1
The regional associations establish Working Groups or appoint Rapporteurs on
Agricultural Meteorology to study problems of specific interest to the Regions. In framing the terms
of reference of such working groups and rapporteurs, the Associations give due consideration to
the views and recommendations of the Commission. Starting in 2006, regional associations have
established new Working Groups on Climate Services, Adaptation and Agricultural Meteorology or
Working Groups on Climate and Hydrology with Sub-groups or Sub-tasks on Agrometeorology. As
of April 2010, RA II (Asia), RA IV (North America, Central America, and the Caribbean), and RA VI
(Europe) have established or are in the process of establishing these new working groups.
1.2
Further information about all activities in each Region is presented in documents on
WMO activities on training in agricultural meteorology (CAgM-XV/INF. 15) and symposia,
seminars, and workshops in agricultural meteorology (CAgM-XV/INF. 16).
2.
Regional Association for Africa (RA I)
2.1
At the fourteenth session of RA I held in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, from 14 to
23 February 2007, the Association noted the importance of agriculture to the economic
development of many countries in the Region and adopted Resolution 13 (XIV-RA I) reestablishing a Working Group on Agricultural Meteorology with the following terms of reference:
(a)
To find ways and means of strengthening the links between agrometeorology and
livestock, forestry, and fisheries;
(b)
To review and evaluate existing agrometeorological methods and practices and their
successful adaptation and adoption at the farm level in Africa;
(c)
To review and evaluate the operational use of seasonal to inter-annual climate
forecasts sustainable agriculture in Africa and make recommendations to improve the
presentation of the forecasts for the users;
(d)
To review and summarize the status of applications of new methods such as GIS, EIS
and remote sensing in agrometeorology in Africa;
(e)
To review reports of climate change scenarios for Africa and catalogue the various
agricultural impacts associated with such scenarios;
(f)
To review and evaluate the integration of traditional knowledge and modern
technologies on issues for agrometeorology including seasonal forecasting;
(g)
To review and summarize the various information dissemination and communication
methods in the Region.
2.2
Mr Hebert Matsikwa (Zimbabwe) was invited to serve as the chairman of the working
group. The dates for the fifteenth session of RA I have not yet been confirmed, but it is tentatively
scheduled for November 2010.
3.
Regional Association for Asia (RA II)
3.1
A meeting of the RA II Working Group on Agricultural Meteorology was held at the
Viet Nam Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology in Hanoi, Viet Nam, from 17 to
19 December 2007. Eleven participants from ten countries and the WMO Secretariat attended the
CAgM-XV/INF. 6, APPENDIX, p. 2
meeting. The group reviewed the approaches in promoting the more active use of
agrometeorological research products by the end users for sustainable agriculture in the Region.
The group reviewed and summarized the status of seasonal and early warning prediction as well
as the monitoring of drought in the Region by conventional and remote sensing techniques.
Climate change impacts and adaptation to climate change to cope with the impacts are very
important issues in many countries of Asia and the group reviewed and summarized the latest
information in this regard.
3.2
At the fourteen session of RA II held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, from 5 to
11 December 2008, the Association adopted Resolution 9 (XIV-RA II), establishing the Working
Group on Climate Services, Adaptation and Agrometeorology with a Sub-group on Climate
Applications and Services (WGCAA-CAS) and a Sub-group on Agrometeorology (WGCAA-AgM).
Dr Zhai Panmao (China) was invited to be chairperson of the Working Group while G. Rasul
(Pakistan) was invited to be coordinator of the WGCAA-AgM.
3.3
The RA II session designated, within WGCAA-AgM, the following agrometeorological
experts to serve on RA II WGCAA and contribute to its work, including attendance of its meetings,
and to lead the activities in their respective theme areas as follows:
(a)
N. Chattopadhyay (India), in Forecasting and Assessment of Crop and Soil Conditions;
(b)
I. Gringof (Russian Federation), in Agrometeorological Information for Enhancing
Grassland Productivity;
(c)
S. Bazgir (Islamic Republic of Iran), in Coping with Impacts of Natural Disasters on
Agriculture;
(d)
Mao Liuxi (China), in Use of Improved Tools for Operational Agrometeorology.
3.3
The RA II session requested the chairperson of the working group:
(a)
To develop a working group implementation plan in consultation with the president and
Management Group of the Association, with reference to the Key Performance
Indicators/targets and action plans under the respective Expected Results of the
Strategic Plan for the Enhancement of National Meteorological and Hydrological
Services in Regional Association II (Asia) (2009–2011), to undertake work on the
various theme areas under the charge of the working group;
(b)
To participate in the relevant sessions of WMO constituent bodies and expert groups,
when invited, representing the regional interests in relation to climate applications and
services and on agrometeorology and to coordinate the WGCAA activities with the
Commission for Climatology, the Commission for Agricultural Meteorology and other
relevant regional working groups.
4.
Regional Association for South America (RA III)
4.1
At the fourteenth session of RA III held in Lima, Peru, from 7 to 13 September 2006,
the Association adopted Resolution 9 (XIV-RA III), re-establishing the Working Group on
Agricultural Meteorology with the following terms of reference:
(a)
To investigate the drought indices that are commonly used in RA III in the last five
years and to evaluate the relation between these indices and the spatial impacts in the
agricultural activity registered during this period;
CAgM-XV/INF. 6, APPENDIX, p. 3
(b)
To review and analyze the methodologies currently used for the evaluation of the
impacts caused by the different extreme events that affect the agricultural productivity
in RA III;
(c)
To compile and analyze the scenarios from the crop growth models using the seasonal
to interannual climate forecasts;
(d)
To evaluate the diffusion of information and the awareness raised amongst farmers of
the economic benefits of the use of agrometeorological services and products and to
evaluate the human, technical and budgetary resources available to the
agrometeorological services;
(e)
To evaluate the different ways of diffusion of agrometeorological information for the
different users, obtain feedback from the users and to propose appropriate
mechanisms to improve it;
(f)
To analyze and evaluate the use of crop simulation models in the NMHSs and
institutions in RA III and suggest the procedures to implement them;
(g)
To review the studies on agroclimatic and agroecological zonation that make use of
GIS and Agrometeorological Information Systems in RA III and determine the best
procedures for their implementation throughout the Region;
(h)
To evaluate and propose appropriate methodologies for the application of remote
sensing in agriculture in the Region;
4.2
Dr Mr Constantino Alarcón (Peru) was invited to serve as the chairman of the working
group. The fifteenth session of RA III will take place from 22 to 29 September 2010 in Bogota,
Colombia. The establishment of new working groups or Task Teams will be determined at that
meeting and subsequently communicated to members.
5.
Regional Association for North America, Central America, and the Caribbean
(RA IV)
At the fifteenth session of RA IV held in Nassau, Bahamas from 24 April to
1 May 2009, the Association agreed that the existing rapporteurs and working groups related to
climate and agrometeorology would be consolidated in an RA IV Working Group on Climate
Services, Adaptation and Agricultural Meteorology. It was also agreed that rather than establish a
number of standing working groups, the Management Group should be requested to use the
guidance provided by the RA IV session to identify a number of activities that could be carried out
over the next four years by regional task teams, with emphasis on addressing the most urgent
issues facing the Region.
5.1
6.
Regional Association for the South-West Pacific (RA V)
6.1
At the fourteenth session of RA V held in Adelaide, Australia, from 9 to 16 May 2006,
the Association adopted Resolution 10 (XIV-RA V), re-establishing the Working Group on
Agricultural Meteorology with the following terms of reference:
(a)
To review and recommend applications of seasonal to interannual climate forecasts to
agriculture, forestry and fisheries in the South-West Pacific, through active
collaboration with CLIPS;
(b)
To assess the current level of interaction with user communities in the applications of
climate forecasts and recommend how user needs in the Region can be more
effectively met;
CAgM-XV/INF. 6, APPENDIX, p. 4
(c)
To recommend appropriate risk management adaptation strategies in agriculture,
forestry and fisheries to current and future climate change in the Region and suggest
how they can be promoted through better communication and more targeted
applications;
(d)
To assess the economic impacts of agrometeorological information in the South-West
Pacific through specific case studies;
(e)
To review the institutional impediments for more effective cooperation between
meteorological services and agricultural, forestry and fishery agencies and suggest
effective ways and means to foster an improved multidisciplinary approach to weather
and climate applications in agriculture, forestry and fisheries in the Region;
(f)
To evaluate the use of remote sensing techniques for monitoring crop growth phases,
crops loss due to climate hazards, crops production, and promote their applications in
operational agrometeorology.
6.2
Dr Rizaldi Boer (Indonesia) was invited to serve as the chairman of the working group.
The fifteenth session of RA V took place from 30 April to 6 May 2010 in Bali, Indonesia. The
outcomes of this meeting will be updated as soon as they are available.
7.
Regional Association for Europe (RA VI)
7.1
A meeting of the RA VI Working Group on Agricultural Meteorology was held on
24 June 2009 in Vienna, Austria with six participants in attendance. The working group meeting was
held in conjunction with an International Symposium on Climate Change and Adaptation Options in
Agriculture that was held in Vienna, Austria from 22 to 24 June 2009. Over 60 participants
attended the International Symposium from many European countries and organizations.
7.2
The working group submitted their report to the fifteenth session of RA VI in Brussels in
September 2009. The working group report has been approved by the fifteenth session and will be
published as a CAgM Report in 2010. The Association adopted Resolution 5.1/2 (XV-RA VI),
establishing a Working Group on Climate and Hydrology (WG/CH) with Mrs Anahit Hovsepyan
(Armenia) as co-chairperson on Climate and Mr Markku Puupponen (Finland) as co-chairperson
on Hydrology.
7.3
During the RA VI Management Group meeting in Geneva, Switzerland from 17 to
18 February 2010, the Management Group decided to form a Task Team on Agrometeorology with
Josef Eitzinger as chairperson with the following terms of reference:
(a)
To document specific case studies on the economic impacts of agrometeorological
information in Europe;
(b)
To develop recommendations to improve the active collaboration between the farming
community in Europe and agrometerological services;
(c)
To review, evaluate and/or recommend standards for agrometorological products;
(d)
To identify and evaluate new challenges or tasks for agrometeorological services and
products related to ongoing climate change impacts.
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